Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by metter98:

A: The beer is close to being jet black in color—traces of brown are visible near the corners of the glass when it is held up to the light. It poured with a quarter finger high beige colored head that died down, but never completely faded away, consistently leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: The smell resembles a chocolate malted milkshake.
T: Much like the smell, the taste tastes like a malted milkshake with notes of chocolate and fudge. A slight amount of sweetness is perceptible.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little smooth on the palate with a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer very much tastes like a chocolate malted milkshake and would probably be a good base if you wanted to make a float out of this and drop in a scoop of ice cream, similar to what is done with some stouts. Nonetheless, it is a good dessert beer.

More User Reviews:

Shake looks as it smells and tastes: like chocolate liquor. It is dense, gritty, and such a deep, dark shade of brown that we might as well call it black (a good source of light, however, contradicts this by turning the thick-as-paste looking liquid clear and showcases ruddy highlights). And, apropos for the milkshake theme, the surface is coated in creamy white froth.

The aroma of bittersweet chocolate is clear as day and contains notes of both roasted, unrefined cocoa nibs (which are actually used in the brew, by the way) as well as a finely conched, velvety vanilla-accented bar from a top European chocolatier. All in all, it smells a lot like actual cocoa butter. One fully expects a "melt in your mouth" quality to follow on the palate.

Shake is sure to make a huge impression on those trying it for the first time (especially if they've never had a chocolate beer before). After trying it on-tap I went out the very next day to buy a six-pack. But the bloom fell off that rose pretty quickly. The bottled version didn't have the same hazelnut-cream and Swiss wafer notes. And each subsequent bottle was a little less impressive.

That six-pack lasted far longer than I imagined it would. By the time of this final bottle I find it to almost taste more of coffee beans than it does cocoa nibs. That gooey, rich, fudge-y bakers chocolate flavour and the silky vanilla note that lined it has faded substantially. I still consider it delicious, but it's not the decadent indulgence I initially thought of it as.

Shake Chocolate Porter is a beer impossible not to recommend (unless of course the person doesn't like chocolate, in which case they're insane anyhow). While it is admittedly a superficial offering (that can also taste a bit artificial at times), it's still the stuff of a choco-holic's dream. Were they around then, Boulder Beer would certainly have been in the service of Mayan royalty.

Appearance: Pours a very dark ruby color. The head is a finger high, with a mocha shade. I don't think it has good retention, but it does leave behind a bit of lacing on the glass. (3.5)

Smell: The "chocolate" part of this beer isn't lying. But it's also loaded with roasted malt goodness, and some vanilla beneath that. While the general aroma is quite sweet, there also seems to be a healthy roast note to it. (4)

Taste: It starts off with a ton of dark chocolate, and I do mean a ton. Despite this, it finishes with a nice roasted bite, and there's even some hoppiness floating around. Basically, it's chocolate milk without the lingering sweetness. Sure it's simplistic, but who cares? (3.75)

Mouthfeel: Really dry, despite its initial sweetness. Because of the richness of flavor, though, it isn't spectacularly drinkable. I don't really care that it's more of a sipper, though. Carbonation is slightly strong, but not stupid - just like this beer. (3.75)

Overall: Like many chocolate beers, it blends a sweet and chocolaty first half with a dry and roasty second half. That doesn't always work, but here it does, and quite well to boot. It's sweet enough to be a dessert beer and dry enough to be paired with a good steak - it's only hampered by its one-dimensional nature. Still, I'm loving the chocolaty nature. (3.75)

12 oz bottle.Poured into a 20oz firestone glass.Dark brown with a 1 inch head.Very heavy chocolate smell.Not bad.This has got a good flavor .If your looking for a good Porter this is not that bad.Not near as good as the Alaskan Baltic porter but still a very tasty Porter.Give it a try.Motley out.